Hasegawa Sadao

Hasegawa Sadao (1945-1999) was the pre-eminent Japanese modern artist of gay subjects, whose name is known throughout the world. He created a great many of his works for the gay magazine Barazoku. During his early career, he focused on Greek and African themes in his artwork. But a self-realization of his own origins led him to embark on a path of discovery of the erotic beauty of Asia. His last works took stylistic inspiration from the traditional arts of Bali, India, Thailand, and Japan, in combination with the physical beauty of the Asian male. The high level of Hasegawa's artistry elevated erotic art to a spiritual realm and was unparalleled among his peers. Two collections of his works have been published in Japan and England, the last being "Paradise Visions."